1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and systems for shopping using mobile wireless devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
European Patent Application EP 0 853 287 A2 discloses a method for transmission of information to the user of a search terminal to facilitate the obtaining of services along a route of travel. The method facilitates the obtaining of services along a travel route by accessing a database and using the user's personal profile to inform the user automatically of the services to be obtained, including their location point. The method uses a route of travel determined by the user to obtain the services and does not determine a route of travel for obtaining the services.
Systems have been proposed for facilitating shopping which utilize wireless communications between a vendor and a mobile device. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,250,789, 5,412,193, 5,572,653, 5,630,068, 5,715,314 and 5,729,697. Systems of this type provide a display of available products as a shopper moves the mobile device throughout a vendor's location. The display of the available products may change according to the shopper's location within the vendor's location so that the displayed products are related to the area in the vendor's location from which the products may be obtained. These systems do not provide shopping from shopping locations containing multiple vendors such as a shopping center.